Magic vs. Spurs GameThread

The West Coast was unkind to the Magic. And the Lone Star State probably won’t be much nicer.

After going 0-4 on stops in Utah, Los Angeles (twice), and Sacramento, the Magic will look to salvage a win in the final game of their road trip when they take on San Antonio. The good news for those hoping for a Magic win is that the Spurs are struggling at the moment, having lost three straight games and five of their last six. Also, Orlando could be getting Aaron Gordon back after he missed two games while under the concussion protocol (or was it a migraine?). And on top of that, the Magic will also just miss the return of Kawhi Leonard, who is expected to be back in the Spurs lineup on Thursday after a long absence.

The Spurs, kicking off a six-game homestand, are in desperate need of a win, having dropped out of current playoff picture and into 10^th place in the West for the time being. At 37-30, the Spurs are currently on the outside looking in via tiebreaker, yet remain just two games out of the fourth spot in the highly-competitive race in the Western Conference.

Jonathon Simmons returns to San Antonio, where he played the previous two seasons, after putting together perhaps his best and most efficient back-to-back performances of the season. He recorded 25 points (9 of 15 shooting) and five rebounds against Sacramento on Friday and 24 points (7 of 13 shooting) and seven assists against the Clippers on Saturday.

The Spurs - who own a defensive rating of 102.6, which is tied for second best in the league – will look to slow down their former teammate.

The Magic, tied for the third worst record in the league at 20-47, will be looking to sweep the season series with the Spurs for the first time since the 2008-2009 season.

Tip off is set for 8:30 p.m. Eastern. Join the conversation below….